


Springtime

by playdohg



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - No Pokemon, Conversations on the beach, F/F, M/M, Slight OOC, Springtime is coming, absolute shit writing, but it aint too bad its more just general, but you're here anyways, discussion about religion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:13:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playdohg/pseuds/playdohg
Summary: Gladion isn't keen on Melemele's tradition of welcoming the coming of spring, so he escapes down to the beach to watch the waves in peace. Instead, a stranger approaches...
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Hau, Lilie | Lillie/Moon (Pokemon Adventures)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	Springtime

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write this instead of working on the last chapter of Glory Sound Prep? Yes. Do I regret it? Nope. Not at all.

Alolan locals were known for their superstitions concerning the supernatural forces that supposedly ruled the world around them. Gladion frankly thought it was all bullshit.

The stories that Alolan kids were told before they slept about gods leading warrior armies against a darkened sun and bursting moon and the ones who brought the seasons every year were never told to him. His mother would tell him they weren’t real, crushing any fantasies he might have had about the supernatural. It helped to keep the childish nightmares away, but it made the world seem bleaker in a way.

Even at nineteen, watching the islanders of Melemele celebrate the coming spring with a festival for the gods felt odd. Watching the islanders be happy and full of wonder as they watched the dancers twirl in the moonlight with song drifting through the air just left a bitter taste in his mouth. Lusamine had taken something so seemingly small and precious from him and Lillie as young children along with everything else she’d left behind in her wake for them to clean up.

An elbow made its way into his rib. “Dude, stop brooding and enjoy yourself,” Moon said with a roll of her eyes and resumed leaning back with her hands on their shared blanket.

Without the her and his sister dragging him away from the Aether Foundation, he probably would have continued working blissfully uninterrupted instead of being dragged to the annual Coming of Spring festival. But after his sister broke into his office with puppy dog eyes deployed and an adamant Moon in tow, he found himself sitting on a soft blanket underneath the stars with Lillie leaning on Moon’s shoulder and him on the opposite end of the blanket waiting uncomfortably for the festivities to end.

“I’m not brooding,” Gladion insisted in a low voice. “I just don’t want to be here. Festivals really aren’t my thing.”

He looked over at the couple to see Lillie glaring at him over Moon. Gladion could feel the disappointment in just the look alone and knew he would most likely get an ear full later for being a jerk or something. He sighed and turned back to the fire lit dancers stage hoping it would end soon.

The dancing came to a close soon enough, but the food had just begun. Moon and Lillie dashed off to the feast tables, but Gladion just wanted to run away from the throngs of people. Since the two girls weren’t there to stop him, he made his way away from all the people to nowhere in particular.

Nothing sounded except his footfalls as he walked down a bush walled path. The festivities weren’t inherently bad he thought, but it just felt weird. He knew Alola at large believed in the island guardians and animal spirits that walked among them, but he knew they didn’t exist. There was no proof. The flowers bloomed because of minute processes within the plants and the sun came up because the earth rotated, not because there was some god over them. These had been proven by scientists over and over again, yet places like Alola still believed in the old gods and probably would continue to do so for a longtime. It’s isolated place in the world let the culture thrive, yet they continued to put themselves at a disadvantage by not believing the truth of the world around them, Gladion always thought.

Gladion shook his head to himself as he wandered the dark path but looking up, he realized he’d wandered down to the beach. Stars shone brightly overhead and moonlight glinted off the water as the waves lapped on the beach with restless lull. He could vaguely hear the noise from the party in the distance, but he sat on the sandy beach where the sound of the cresting waves almost drowned it out.

Gladion pulled his legs up and rested his head on his knees with a sigh. Though he knew there weren’t any gods, he wondered sometimes what it would be like to live in that world. What would he do? He’s a scientist after all, so there wouldn’t be a place for him, not like there was one here for him in the first place. Maybe in some other way he would belong in a world of gods and monsters like in the children’s stories if they ever existed. Now that he thought about it, he didn't even know many specifics about the Alolan gods, so many there would be a place for him...

The waves continued to crash on the beach as the blond-haired man became acutely aware of a light clinking sound on the beach.

Gladion whipped to his right to see a man walking leisurely towards him with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing orange sandals and baggy white pants with a tucked in black shirt. Beneath a loose white flower-patterned orange mantle, strings of beads clanked lightly around his waist.

The stranger’s face though caught Gladion’s attention. Half pulled up green hair with a flower in the back framed his handsome young face and bright brown eyes. He couldn’t tell much from the ground and the relaxed clothing, but he looked pretty built to Gladion and not much older than himself.

The stranger continued to approach until he was towering over Gladion, beaming down at him with a smile.

“Aloha! Mind if I sit with you?” He began to sit anyways without waiting for Gladion to give a reply. He plopped down in the sand without much grace and spread his legs much like a child would.

“Isn’t it a bit rude to sit right next to a stranger without their permission,” Gladion muttered icily, just loud enough for the man to hear him.

The stranger laughed lightly. “I suppose it is, but you’re sitting alone on a night full of celebration.” He spread his arms open. “I saw you leaving when no one’s left yet. It’s not early enough for people to be drunk, so I figured you just needed a friend.”

Gladion squinted suspiciously and raised an eyebrow. This random ass guy saw him sneaking away from the island festival and thought he would come and hang out with him. He supposed this _was_ Melemele, and he shouldn’t be _too_ suspicious.

“Is that so?” He huffed. “Well, thanks for thinking I was lonely, but I’m fine. Go back to the party and have fun.”

Gladion saw the guy shift in the sand next to him, but not get up. He’d leaned back on his hands to look into dark sea, brown eyes nearly glowing in the moonlight. “Oh? You say that like you weren’t.”

“Hmm…I wasn’t really. Parties aren’t my scene.” Gladion shifted to be cross legged.

“And what is?” He asked.

“I prefer my lab. It’s quieter there.”

“Is that really why?”

Gladion stopped. The man said that like he knew something Gladion didn’t. The stranger’s hair blew gently in the ocean breeze as he turned to look at him.

“Excuse me? What are you trying to say?” Gladion questioned a bit miffed.

The stranger looked at him with a look Gladion couldn’t quite place before looking apologetic and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, that was a bit forward. I’m Hau by the way.” He moved his hand from his neck to in front of Gladion.

Gladion noticed he didn’t retract the statement but took the man’s hand anyways with a bit of reluctance. “Gladion.”

“That’s a nice name,” Hau chuckled and retracted his hand. “It’s kind of ironic, we’re both named after flowers and both ended up on the same beach at the same time.”

The corner of Gladion’s mouth twitched slightly at the odd comment. “I guess you’re right,” He mused coolly.

“I like gladiolus flowers. They represent infatuation, strength, and integrity, and they’re always in the prettiest bright colors.” Hau’s face lit up. “Springtime always brings them the prettiest blooms.”

Gladion quirked his head to the side and huffed a laugh at Hau's antics. “I never gave my name too much thought. My sister Lillie and I like to think that our mother just saw two random flowers and thought they would make fine names.”

“’You’d like to think that’?” Hau asked with a tone of concern and confusion.

“She never was a mother to us growing up.” Gladion said after a long moment. He shifted uncomfortably under the concerning gaze. Why was he telling a complete stranger this? “Always working, never around for us. Lusamine fell ill a few years ago so we took over the Aether Paradise for her.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was true.

“I’m… sorry. Did she pass?”

“No. She’s in a mental health facility in Kanto.” And he left it at that. Lusamine was not a topic he liked to talk about with anyone, much less strangers. Not after everything she’d done to him and Lillie. It looked like Hau had sensed that and didn’t pry anymore into the subject of his mother.

They sat in silence for a while looking at the ocean, but it wasn’t too awkward. Gladion still didn’t get why the guy was still here sitting with him instead of enjoying the party; after all, the Coming of Spring was one of the biggest celebrations here on Melemele and most people liked to spend every last moment they could at it.

Gladion spoke next. “Can I ask you a question?” He asked evenly.

“Hm?” Hau hummed before looking at him again.

“Why did you ask me if that was the real reason I didn’t want to be at the festival earlier? You said that like you knew something I didn’t.” Gladion reached up and smoothed his bangs, a nervous habit he hadn’t ever grown out of.

Hau’s eye twinkled. “And what if I did?”

“I would be suspicious since I’ve never met you before in my life, yet you seem to know something about myself that I don’t know.” Gladion slightly leaned away and regarded him with caution.

“Understandable,” Hau laughed and sat up. “I like to think that I can read people pretty well sometimes. Sorry, if it came off weird; it’s a bad habit of mine.”

Gladion rolled his eyes, “Yeah, it was weird.”

A moment passed before Gladion spoke again.

“I mean,” He sighed. “You weren’t completely wrong.”

“How so?” Hau tilted his head cutely, and Gladion couldn’t help but notice how attractive he was for doing absolutely nothing.

“I guess… I just have a problem with the whole ‘gods’ and ‘spirits’ thing.” The wing blew at his bangs and he kept his hand there to keep them from blowing away from his face.

“Ah.” Hau nodded with understanding, “You don’t believe in them I’m guessing?”

Gladion shook his head. “No. Those fantasies were crushed for me long ago. The world around us,” He gestured around with his hands, “Is all just science. An equation. There’s mystery sure, but nothing that can’t be discovered and proven with it.”

He looked down and sighed. “I guess I just felt awkward at the festival because everyone was so… happy. But they believe in something that they’ve never seen or can prove. How can that bring joy? How can you place your bets on something you can never see?” He questioned bitterly.

He looked up as Hau shifted his legs to sit crisscross facing towards him. “Gladion, can ask you something, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want, but… is that really how you see the world? Do you really believe the things like ‘attraction is just a means to reproduce’ and that there’s no order to the world except what humans create as a society? I’m asking just so I don’t get you wrong here, but would you say you believe stuff like that?” He asked all this in a gentle tone of voice, washing over him like a warm spring breeze, or maybe it was just from the water. 

Gladion looked out over the rolling waves. The clear water washed foam up the shore, washing away the sands and bringing new grains and rocks to pepper the beach. Not looking away from the water, he replied.

“I…I guess. Yeah, I guess I do.”

He heard Hau hum next to him. “No offense, but that’s a bit of a bleak way to live.”

Gladion shrugged in leu of a reponse. It was just the way he’d been taught and saw the world. There couldn't be another answer. 

“I’m sorry,” Hau chuckled, “I just can’t get it. Seeing a world where everything is just an accident or something, I mean. I learned some time ago that everything has a purpose, and everything has a time. Even when we seem like an insignificant part of a machine, we were placed here for a purpose. We can never see the full picture and know everything, but sometimes we have to give up that knowledge to enjoy life, to see it bloom around us.”

Gladion had to smile slightly as he looked back at the hopeful brown eyes that seemed to glow. “That’s an optimistic view of things.”

“I try. I can’t let the darkness creep in too much these days.” Hau smiled wide and bright for him to see. His smile fell like he was lost in thought before he said, “I have to go. I’m needed somewhere soon.” _That was out of nowhere_ Gladion thought to himself. 

“I should probably head back, too," He surmised. "My sister and her girlfriend are going to wonder if I went back to the Aether Foundation or something if I don’t come back soon.”

Hau moved to stand and offered Gladion a hand. Gladion took the bigger hand and stood, only to find himself smacking face-to-chest with Hau, with whom the very top of his head only came up to Hau’s collarbone. Gladion was a muscularly lean guy who was pretty slim naturally, but Hau dwarfed him in height and width in a good way Gladion inwardly mused. His pale cheeks blushed hard as he took a step back from the taller man.

“Um, sorry about that,” Gladion apologized as he dusted the sand off of his black jeans and the sleeves of his long black shirt, trying to distract himself from his own embarrassment. Hau laughed as he brushed the sand off from his pants.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t realize you were that light and misjudged the pull on that.” He said.

When Hau turned back to Gladion, the blond could have swore he saw his skin darker with a blush, but it was a bit hard to tell. Gladion began to turn to start walking back, but a hand on his arm stopped him from doing so and he hard as Hau quickly retracted his hand. 

“Hey, um, do you mind if I give you something before we go back?” Hau fidgeted with his sleeve nerviously.

“Uh, sure. What is it?” Gladion asked cautiously.

Hau pulled back his mantle to reveal a little leather pouch on the side of his waist. He opened the pouch and reached inside with his hand, pulling it out to offer it Gladion, who hesitantly offered out his own.

He felt a little _‘plink!’_ in his hand. When the tan hand moved away, it revealed there to be a single round brown seed in the middle of his hand.

“It’s a hau flower seed. Normally the flowers grow on big bushes or trees and such, but this seed is special. It will grow a single stem and produce only one flower without growing into a massive plant. Kinda cool, right? It just needs some water, sunlight, and love, and it will grow. I know it’s not much to give something like this, but it would mean the world to me if you took it.”

The blond stopped in his tracks, pondering the little seed in his hand before slipping it into his pocket. It was strange but his heart fluttered at the man giving him the little gift even though they seemed so different.

“Thank you, Hau. I’ll try my best to take care of it.” He resolved. He felt like he needed to ask the other something else, but he couldn’t quite remember what it was.

Hau smiled. “Now let’s get back to the _oh-so-terrible_ festival,” He teased, putting a hand to his forehead dramatically as Gladion cracked a small smile at his own expense, and they both made their way silently back to the trail that Gladion had took initially to get down to the beach with only the soft noise of their feet and Hau’s jingling beads following them. Somewhere in the back of his head, Gladion thought it was odd that Hau hadn't tried to change his mind or anything after such a heavy but brief talk. Just gave him a flower seed. Weird.

Noises from the celebration grew steadily louder as light slowly crept onto the path from torches and hung lanterns ahead. The path got smaller so Gladion stepped in front of Hau, to which the other did not object. Right about when they were going to reach the head of the path back into the festival, Gladion remembered what he was going to ask Hau back on the beach. He swallowed down the nervousness in his throat that threatened to silence his next statement. 

“Hey, Hau. Do you have a phone number or something? I meant to ask you back on the beach before we left, but I—” He turned to look over his shoulder back at the mantle clad man but was met with an empty trail. Gladion looked right to left and saw no signs of Hau and his orange mantle, but something was off on the path. A few feet back from where he’d stopped, there was a clear distinction of something.

Where Gladion stood, the bushes that lined the path were nothing except plain green, but as far back as the torchlights behind him could let him see, there were dozens of new buds and blooms along the bushes. Turning around a bit he could see the few plants left behind him were plain green with no blooms yet, and in turning back, he could see clear as daylight the blossoms along the trail where he and Hau had walked.

“Hey, Gladion!” He heard Moon hollering somewhere behind him. He’d been spotted.

Gladion turned to look back towards the direction he’d been walking, but as he did, he swore the blooms on the path shimmered ethereally in of the corner of his eye as a warm breeze blew through and rocked the branches around him.

**Author's Note:**

> I know its been done for these two before, but God help my Haudion deprived heart. I can't handle not having this good food, so I made some for everyone to hopefully enjoy. I honestly don't know if I'll make a second chapter of this because I don't know my endgame here, but I just needed to get this off my chest.


End file.
